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He has become one of the most lionized and celebrated figures in Japanese history. Despite his opposition to the State, the Empire, in the end, he is nevertheless celebrated for his bravery, his devotion to his ideals, and his willingness to die for those ideals in 1877, as well as for his successful negotiation of the bloodless transfer of Edo in 1868, where the wars of the Restoration could have otherwise been so much more lengthy and bloody than they were.

He has become one of the most lionized and celebrated figures in Japanese history. Despite his opposition to the State, the Empire, in the end, he is nevertheless celebrated for his bravery, his devotion to his ideals, and his willingness to die for those ideals in 1877, as well as for his successful negotiation of the bloodless transfer of Edo in 1868, where the wars of the Restoration could have otherwise been so much more lengthy and bloody than they were.

A statue of Saigô, designed by [[Takamura Koun|Takamura Kôun]] and erected in [[Ueno Park]] in [[1898]], faces towards the [[Tokyo Imperial Palace]], celebrating him as the leader of the armies which took [[Edo castle]] in 1868; it does not face away from the castle, least of all facing towards Kagoshima, which might suggest Saigô's betrayal of the Imperial state and loyalty to his Satsuma samurai roots.<ref>Takashi Fujitani, ''Splendid Monarchy'', University of California Press (1996), 91-92.</ref>

A statue of Saigô, designed by [[Takamura Koun|Takamura Kôun]] and erected in [[Ueno Park]] in [[1898]], faces towards the [[Tokyo Imperial Palace]], celebrating him as the leader of the armies which took [[Edo castle]] in 1868; it does not face away from the castle, least of all facing towards Kagoshima, which might suggest Saigô's betrayal of the Imperial state and loyalty to his Satsuma samurai roots.<ref>Takashi Fujitani, ''Splendid Monarchy'', University of California Press (1996), 91-92.</ref> Saigô was posthumously pardoned, along with a number of other "enemies of the Court" in [[1889]].<ref>Sven Saaler, "Public Statuary and Nationalism in Modern and Contemporary Japan," ''Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus'' 15:20:3 (Oct 15, 2017), 3.</ref>

Another significant statue of Saigô was erected in Kagoshima in 1937, and still stands today. Over five meters tall, it was designed by Kagoshima native Andô Teru, who was later killed in air raids in 1945.<ref>Plaques at statue of Saigô Takamori in Kagoshima.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15230386161/sizes/l][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15046901998/sizes/h/]</ref>

Another significant statue of Saigô was erected in Kagoshima in 1937, and still stands today. Over five meters tall, it was designed by Kagoshima native Andô Teru, who was later killed in air raids in 1945.<ref>Plaques at statue of Saigô Takamori in Kagoshima.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15230386161/sizes/l][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15046901998/sizes/h/]</ref>